Winter arrives early in Western New York, but November and December still hold a few important garden jobs. Holiday gardening in New York is about finishing your fall chores while the ground is workable, protecting plants from wind and cold, and bringing color indoors for the season. Depending on the temperatures, there may still be time to wrap up the last tasks on your list. This calendar covers November and December, from mulching and lawn care to holiday plants, your canned harvest, and winter tree protection.
Holiday Gardening in New York: Winter Landscape Protection
Finish Remaining Chores
If temperatures allow, use any mild days to finish leftover fall work. If you have questions about dormant oil, fertilizer, selective herbicide, or frost protection, our team can help you choose the right product and method.
Mulch Your Beds
Mulch with bark, compost, or other local materials to enrich the soil, protect plant roots, and prevent erosion. In our region, mulch also helps buffer the freeze and thaw cycles that push shallow-rooted plants out of the ground.
Protect Plants from Frost and Wind
Cover tender plants before hard freezes and shield exposed evergreens from drying winter wind. Burlap screens and frost cloth are easy options, and we can help you pick the right one.
Protect Shrubs from Heavy Snow
Heavy, wet snow can flatten hedges and bend or split the branches of boxwood, arborvitae, and other evergreens. After a storm, gently brush snow off with an upward sweep of a broom rather than shaking or hitting the branches, and never chip off ice. For upright evergreens that split easily, ask our team about tying them loosely with soft twine before winter.
Holiday Houseplant Care in New York
Tidy and Wash Your Plants
Perk up tired houseplants by removing dead and dying leaves. Rinse the foliage under a soft shower in the sink or tub to remove dust.
Watch for Spider Mites
Spider mites multiply quickly in warm, dry winter homes. Check for tiny speckles on the leaves, and catch them early.
Repot or Refresh
Repot if roots are growing through the drainage holes or over the edge of the pot. If you would rather not go up a pot size, untangle the roots and trim them back by about one third, scrub the pot, and replant in fresh soil.
Turn Plants Weekly
Give your plants a turn each week so they grow evenly instead of leaning toward the weaker winter light in the window.
Holiday Plants and Indoor Bloom in New York
Plant Bulbs for Indoor Bloom
Plant amaryllis, paperwhite narcissus, hyacinth, crocus, and indoor cyclamen for blooms during the darkest weeks of the year.
Check Holiday Plants Before Bringing Them Home
Poinsettias, chrysanthemums, and orchids fill the stores this time of year. Check them thoroughly for hitchhiking pests before bringing them into your home, or treat them with a houseplant insecticide or insecticidal soap.
Get Creative with Arrangements
Combine plants with metallic painted twigs, pinecones, or seashells for a custom holiday display.
Care for a Living Christmas Tree
If you are using a live tree as a living Christmas tree, prolong its time indoors by applying an anti-desiccant to reduce moisture loss from the needles. Keep its stay indoors short, and plan to plant it outside when the ground allows.
Holiday Lawn Care in New York
Clear the Lawn
Remove leaves, toys, hoses, and anything else sitting on the grass. Left in place, they cause dead spots.
Apply Winter Fertilizer
If you have not already, apply a winter fertilizer. The middle number on the bag is phosphorus, which supports root growth through the winter. If you have weeds, consider a winter fertilizer with weed control.
Make One Last Mow
Mow one more time after the lawn goes dormant and before it freezes, leaving the grass about 2 1/2 inches tall.
Stay Off Frozen Grass
When temperatures are freezing, stay off the lawn as much as possible. Frozen blades break easily under foot traffic.
Holiday Vegetable Gardening in New York
Protect Cool-Season Crops
Protect cool-season vegetables with row covers, or a cover of leaves or mulch, to extend the harvest into the colder months.
Mulch and Harvest
Mulch empty beds to enrich the soil and protect it from rain and snow erosion. Harvest carrots, lettuce, greens, and other overwintering crops as they are ready.
Review Notes and Plan Ahead
Review your gardening notes and start planning next year’s garden. Test the germination rate of leftover seeds if you want to use them again.
Start Early Greens Under Lights
If you garden under lights or in a heated greenhouse, start seeds of early spring crops such as lettuce, kale, mustard, and spinach.
Holiday Gardening in New York: Preserve the Harvest
Enjoy Your Canned Harvest All Winter
Once the garden is put to bed, a pantry shelf of home-canned tomatoes, green beans, peppers, and pickles is the best reward for a summer of work. Winter is when those jars earn their space, whether they go into soups, stews, and sauces or straight onto the table alongside a holiday meal.
Check Your Jars Before You Use Them
Take a few minutes now to look over your shelf. Lids should be sealed and curved slightly downward, with no bulging, leaking, or rust. Discard any jar that looks or smells off, and do not taste it to check. Store jars in a cool, dark, dry place, and plan to use home-canned goods within a year for the best quality.
Follow Tested Canning Recipes
If you are still canning or planning for next year, use tested recipes and processing times. Low-acid vegetables such as green beans need a pressure canner, while acidic foods such as pickles and properly prepared tomatoes can be processed in a boiling water bath. Your local Cornell Cooperative Extension office is a good resource for current, tested guidelines.
Give Homemade Jars as Holiday Gifts
A jar of pickled peppers, tomato sauce, or dilly beans with a ribbon and a handwritten label makes a thoughtful gift from the garden. Save a few of your best jars in the fall and you will be ready when the holiday invitations start arriving.
Keep Fresh Herbs Growing on the Windowsill
Fresh herbs are a great partner for your preserved harvest. Rosemary, mint, parsley, and thyme grow well in small pots on a sunny windowsill, so you can season winter soups and roasts with something green. Harvest View Greenhouses can help you choose herbs that do well indoors.
Holiday Tree and Shrub Care in New York
Stake and Protect Young Trees
Stake young trees and vines if needed. Before a heavy freeze, apply an anti-desiccant or similar product to reduce moisture loss.
Prevent Trunk Sunscald
Winter sun can warm one side of a young tree’s trunk during the day, and the bark can split when it freezes again at night. Protect young tree trunks with light-colored tree guards for at least two years after planting. After two years, paint the trunks with white latex paint. Both methods prevent the trunk from splitting.
Fertilize While the Ground Is Not Frozen
If you have not fertilized shrubs and trees yet, do it while the ground is not frozen. This lets roots absorb nutrients when temperatures are above 40 degrees and again when spring returns. Granules and spikes deliver nutrients easily and effectively.
Prune Dead and Diseased Branches
Prune out dead and diseased branches so they do not fall on your roof or on people walking beneath.
Visit Harvest View Greenhouses
Holiday Plants and Winter Advice
Stop in for holiday plants, indoor bulbs, and advice tailored to Western New York gardens. We are always here to help.
